Shabaz Ali, the TikTok star known for his sarcastic takedowns of the wealthy, has become a cult celebrity with over 4 million followers. His viral fame now extends to television with the BBC documentary 'Shabaz Asks: Are Billionaires Bad?', airing on BBC Three at 9pm on Tuesday 28 July and available on iPlayer.
From Teacher to TikTok Sensation
Ali, 32, a former chemistry teacher from Blackburn, began making reaction videos during lockdown. Mocking what he calls the 'rich and ridiculous,' his videos quickly gained traction, with some reaching 30 million views. He coined the term 'King of the Povvos' and leads the '#PovvoGang,' reclaiming the insult 'povvo' as a badge of honor.
'I grew up working class and heard “povvo” so much,' Ali said. 'The community we’ve built is warm, honest and self-deprecating. They’re saying, “We don’t have much but at least we’re here.”'
The Kardashian Era Is Over
Ali believes there has been a massive shift in public perception. 'The Kardashian era is over,' he said. 'We don’t want airbrushed reality any more. We want it raw, authentic and unfiltered.' He criticizes influencers like Becca Bloom, who posts videos of her cats eating from £20,000 bowls, for being tone-deaf.
As a teacher, Ali saw how social media warped teenagers' perceptions. 'They’d say, “I don’t need to study, I’m going into business. Richard Branson didn’t do his GCSEs.” I was like, “He’s one person!” There are 3,400 billionaires in a global population of 8.3 billion. That’s a lot of disappointed people.'
Investigating Billionaires
In his documentary, Ali investigates extreme wealth and its real-world impact. He attempts to interview prominent billionaires like Kim Kardashian, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos, but none agreed. 'Kim K definitely saw my message. She didn’t reply, though,' he said.
Instead, he meets with figures like Green party member Zack Polanski, who Ali says is 'the only person on the party political spectrum who’s speaking out about billionaires.' Ali, a lifelong Labour voter, said he might vote Green now.
He also spends time with Apprentice winner Joseph Valente, whom he calls a 'fascinating character but he uses a lot of hairspray,' and Phones 4U founder John Caudwell in Vail, Colorado. 'I hate billionaires but I liked John, which was hard,' Ali admitted. 'I just think he’s unaware of his own power and privilege.'
Tax the Rich
Ali argues that billionaires should pay more tax. 'If they don’t pay up, move them all to the Isle of Wight and turn it into a giant prison for rich people,' he joked. He dismisses fears that billionaires would leave the UK if taxed more. 'Let them go! They ain’t going anywhere. They’ve benefited too much from this country.'
He believes society is approaching a tipping point. 'People are so sick of wealth inequality. We’re French Revolution era, ready to overthrow Marie Antoinette,' he said.
Future Plans
Ali hopes to continue with a full series, with the next documentary focusing on skincare, cosmetics, and plastic surgery. 'Shabaz asks: can I turn back time? That’s the question I want to pose. Watch this space.'
